How do I love thee?
by Musiemo
Summary: Draco offers solace to Harry.


**Title: **How do I love thee?

**Genre: **Romance / Hurt&amp;Comfort

**Pairing: **Draco M. / Harry P.

**Rating:** MA

**Summary: **Draco offers solace to Harry.

**Warning(s): **Written in the present tense.

**Author's Note: **I was reading some sonnets from an old literature book and this one tugged at my heart.

**Chapters: **1

**Word Count: **1,582

**Disclaimer: **This piece of art or fiction is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made, no copyright or trademark infringement, or offence is intended.

§§§

_How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)_

_ How do I love thee? Let me count the ways._

_ I love thee to the depth and breadth and height_

_My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight_

_ For the ends of being and ideal grace._

_ I love thee to the level of every day's_

_ Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light._

_I love thee freely, as men strive for right._

_ I love thee purely, as they turn from praise._

_ I love thee with the passion put to use_

_ In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith._

_ I love thee with a love I seemed to lose_

_With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,_

_Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,_

_ I shall but love thee better after death._

_ :: Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806 - 1861 _

§§§

Draco reaches out expecting to encounter the warm body of his lover but doesn't. He jerks awake and sits up in bed scanning the darkness.

He had been with Harry these two months since the end of the war and was accustomed to waking up in the middle of the night to soothe his fears when he had nightmares, but had never woken up without him there.

"Harry," he whispers into the darkness. His only response is a sudden draft from the direction of their balcony door which he now realizes is open. He gets up and crosses the room, shivering as his nude body and bare feet are exposed to the cold.

"Harry," he repeats as he steps out into the night. He looks towards the love seat situated in the corner and can just make out a slightly bulky form. When he moves forward he realizes that Harry is curled up in a foetal position in the seat, his eyes wide open and glassy.

Draco reaches out to touch Harry who flinches, so Draco just pulls back and kneels before the seat to wait.

Eventually, Harry sniffles and focused his eyes on his lover. Then he sits up and pulls his knees beneath his chin.

"Why do you love me, Draco?" he whispers. Why do you stay with me after all the shit I put you through, all the sacrifices you have to make because of me. Why do -" his voice cracks and he stops to take a deep, shaky breath. Then he continues in a rush as though he has to force the words out.

"I know how tired you are in the mornings when you have to stay up with me half the night because of nightmares. No matter how much you try to hide it, I know. So many people went through more than me and I'm the only one still having nightmares and they're so stupid because there's nothing I can do to change things now and I feel so useless and-" Harry breaks down into heaving sobs.

Draco understands where Harry's sudden insecurities originate. Just that morning the Ministry had held a mass execution and burial for Death Eaters that had been found guilty and Lucius Malfoy was among them. The Death Eater's wives who remained were then exiled from Britain for a minimum of 10 years. That was a decade in which Narcissa Malfoy could not set foot in her native home. And a decade in which Draco is forbidden to see her.

Draco pulls his lover down into his lap and holds him as he cries out his pain and frustration until finally, when there are left only soft hiccoughs and muffled sobs, he rises with Harry in his arms and moves back into their bedroom. Seating himself on the foot of the bed Draco continues to hold Harry until he is so calm he is about to fall asleep, then Draco places him to lie supine in the middle of the bed and hovers over him.

"I love you, Harry." He says as he strokes his lover's cheek in a soothing gesture. When he sees that Harry is about to reply he places his index finger over Harry's lips.

"I love you a little more each day. I love your smile, I love your laugh, I love your presence." Draco shifts his hand upwards and buried it in Harry's soft hair.

"I love your terrible bird's nest hair that no amount of time and dedication on my part can control. I love your stunning green eyes. I can spend hour just gazing into them because they let me see into you and feel like a part of you." As if to prove his very words Draco stops everything he is doing to stare searchingly into Harry's eyes.

He then leans forward and bestows a sweet and gentle kiss on his lover's lips. "I love your soft kissable lips," he whispers after he has withdrawn to his previous position. His hand leaves Harry's hair and trails down his cheek and the hollow of his neck to lie upon his chest, above his heart.

"I love your big heart. You don't have nightmares because you're weak Harry, but because you are strong. You care so much and so deeply that your heart cries for everyone that was lost because of that monster. How can I resent being the one who shares the long nights with you who gets to hold you and let you know that it will all be ok? That you'll be a better man for it. I don't want you belittling your ability to still feel after what you've been through, love" Harry gives a watery smile and closes his eyes.

Draco trails his hand down Harry's chest and begins to stroke his stomach. He persists with the soft teasing actions until Harry moans and opens his eyes. He looks down in time to see Draco give him a devilish smirk. "I love your cock," he states before engulfing said appendage in his mouth.

Harry widens his eyes, which are still connected to his lovers' and gasps. Draco performs a slight sucking motion that causes Harry to groan and toss his head back into his pillow. Draco then begins to pleasure him in earnest, using his skilful tongue to reduce his lover to a quivering mess and then inserting one magically lubricated finger into Harry's pucker.

His heightened state of arousal ensures that he is amenable to Draco's ministrations and so second and third fingers are introduced until he is lubed and stretched and aching. Only then does Draco stop and move so that he is positioned above him with Harry's legs around his waist and his penis stationed at Harry's entrance. He waits until Harry reopens his eyes and looks up at him before slowly sinking into him. Harry lest out a deep, heartfelt groan and digs his fingers into the duvet on either sides of his body, his eyes still linked with his lovers'.

"I love your body. How open and receptive it is to me. How it pulls me in and holds me tight, always so tight." Draco whispers; and then he begins to move. His thrusts are so sure and steady they can't even be considered thrusts, but rather internal caresses. He continues at his set pace and angle, mercilessly taking Harry ever higher.

"I love every chance, every moment I get to be with you. I treasure each encounter and thank Merlin for bringing you to me. Gifting you to me." Harry's back arches in response to the words as though trying to offer even more of himself. "I love the way you look and feel in the throes of passion." Draco says as he lowers his head to suck at one of Harry's proffered nipples.

Harry throws his head back and clenches his teeth while bringing his hands up to encircle Draco's neck. Draco chuckles breathlessly, the only sign so far he is being affected. "I love the sounds you make when I'm inside you," Draco breathes at the same time that he shifts his hips ever so slightly and strokes Harry's prostate.

Harry cries out in surprise and pleasure while his hands tighten around his lover's neck. Draco watches in wonder as every stroke of his cock brings forth moans and whimpers and wiggles from the love of his life. The rest of the words he had planned to say dry up in his mouth and he is drawn in by his lover's pleasure. He increases the speed and strength of his thrusts as he lowers his head to swallow Harry's cries before they can leave his lips.

Draco presses on relentlessly driving himself deeper and deeper into Harry until the two are moving as one, striving for that one goal which is their orgasm. Draco knows the moment right before Harry comes; his voice box seizes up so there is no sound, his anal muscles clench so tightly that Draco finds it almost impossible to keep thrusting, and he stops breathing. When that moment comes Draco bows his head, gives one more powerful thrust to seat himself fully and lets go.

They fall apart and rise and come together and move higher and it's beautiful and all-encompassing and terrifying all at once and as they fall back as one. And as their breaths return to them and Harry snuggles in his arms beneath the duvet, Draco kisses him tenderly and holds his eyes.

"I love you because I can do nothing better with this life and all the rest."


End file.
